Alan Shearer gives his thoughts on Anthony Gordon amid exit rumours

Anthony Gordon is the latest Newcastle United player under the microscope ahead of what's going to be a turbulent summer.

There are expected to be plenty of comings and goings around St James' Park ahead of next season, and there has been a lot of talk from the club, bracing fans for the idea that at least one big player is likely to leave.

Anthony Gordon is one of the leading candidates to leave amid reports that Bayern Munich and a couple of Premier League clubs are keen to take the flying winger off Newcastle's hands.

Unfortunately for Gordon, an article published in The Telegraph on Thursday made it sound as if he was pushing for a move away, when in fact that's not the case at all. The article merely suggested that if he were to leave, Newcastle want the deal concluded before the World Cup, and people read that to mean that Gordon had said he wants out before the World Cup.

This misunderstanding has caused a lot of fans to turn on the 25-year-old after careless aggregators, and even respected outlets have misreported Luke Edwards' piece to suggest that Gordon wants to leave. 

Shearer's view on Anthony Gordon is just common sense

Alan Shearer has spoken to The Sun about the situation, and he's now running the risk of having his words twisted after the former Toon skipper said that if Anthony Gordon isn't committed, then he should be moved on.

“I don’t know what Anthony Gordon’s feelings are, but I always say, if someone doesn’t want to be here, then you have to get them out.

“I don’t know whether he wants that or not, I honestly don’t know, only he can answer that.

“I said it with the (Alexander) Isak situation. If someone doesn’t want to be there, you’re better off getting someone out, and getting someone in who wants to be there who is 100 per cent committed.

“I’m not saying Gordon isn’t, I’m just saying only he can answer that, and if he doesn’t, then he has to be sold.”

Gordon hasn't said he wants to leave

Shearer went to great pains to emphasise that he doesn't know which way Gordon is leaning, but you just watch how his words will get twisted by other outlets to sensationalise the story.

It's common sense to get players out who don't want to be at the club. As Shearer says, we saw how destructive Alexander Isak was last year. We never want a repeat of that.

For now, though, Anthony Gordon is a Newcastle player, and there has been nothing from him or Eddie Howe to suggest he doesn't want to be here.

I've got salt, pepper and ketchup next to me to season my words before I eat them tomorrow if Gordon isn't in the starting lineup, though. After Howe's quotes today that he won't select anyone who isn't 100% committed to the club, it would be hard to draw any other conclusion if Gordon is absent from the team sheet.